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Beloit Memorial High School’s seniors formalized their intent to find a job or go to college after graduation by signing their names on the dotted line Friday.

The school held its first Decision Signing Day in hopes of getting seniors prepared for a bright future.

“Decision Signing Day is similar to what we do with our athletes. We promote post-secondary education and the workforce. Students pledge they are focused on their future once they leave this school. We’ve done everything we can to put them in the best position with the tools to make the community a better place,” said Jon Dupuis, BMHS special education teacher.

Students’ post-secondary plans were able to include: Universities and colleges, technical colleges, military service or the workforce. Many students were donning their college T-shirts, military gear or purple attire in honor of Decision Signing Day.

Rudy Lugo, Cade Johnson, Chris Jones and Bailey Shain were some of the many students excited to make the pledge.

Rudy said he plans on working at Scot Forge as he’s already had an internship there.

Bailey plans to attend Blackhawk Technical College (BTC) where she will take automotive classes in hopes of becoming a mechanic.

“When I got my car I had a lot of problems with it,” Bailey said. “It’s something I catch on to fast and I really like it. I can do an oil change and change tires.”

Although Bailey has a firm plan, she said many students are still unsure about the future. The event, she said, will help them realize how important it is to start thinking about their plans.

Cade said he will study actuarial science at UW-La Crosse. He said Friday’s event was a great way to help students make decisions by having them take the time to sit down and think about it.

Chris said he plans to attend BTC for criminal justice in hopes of becoming a police officer.

Dupuis said BMHS offers technical education courses and an extensive array of Advanced Placement courses to give students a head start on their future.

Decision signing day is hoped to become an annual event.

“Making the transition to adulthood is a big step for them. We have a lot of great things we are doing, and this is another way to promote our students,” Dupuis said.